More MLS teams are on the way; where will the players come from?

Michael Enfield (left), who once played for the L.A. Galaxy, is the only American playing in Australia's A-League. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Jonah Freedman's Mailbag Submit a comment or question for Jonah. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Jonah Freedman on Twitter

SYDNEY, Australia -- With its stunning harbor setting and its international landmark Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Sydney is almost literally half a world away from Major League Soccer's New York offices.

But with MLS set to add four new teams over the next three years, the league may have to cast its net this far to prevent the inevitable dilution of talent that plagued the NHL during its far-too-fast expansion during the late 1990s.

Does that mean MLS is going to start signing Aussies? Maybe. The A-League has been growing steadily over its first four seasons and it's almost creepy how many parallels there are between its growth and that of MLS. But that's a whole other feature story in itself. More likely, the American league may have to hunt down its own alums who have fled far and wide to make their living.

It's here in Australia's most cosmopolitan city that you'll find one of four former MLS players plying his trade Down Under. Michael Enfield is in the second year of his two-year contract with Sydney FC, a season removed from becoming the first (and only) American to play in the eight-team A-League.

A former U.S. youth international, Enfield began his professional career in 2006 as a Los Angeles Galaxy draft pick. He made 11 appearances that season and showed some promise as a small but speedy, gutsy attacker. He even scored off the bench in his first MLS appearance.

But once his rookie year ended, the club released him. He couldn't land an offer from another MLS team, either. Former Galaxy coach Steve Sampson worked the phones for Enfield and eventually got him a one-month trial at Sydney FC (it didn't hurt that Australian actor Anthony LaPaglia, a part-owner of the club, has close ties to the Galaxy). Enfield impressed the coaches enough to land a deal at the club.

Unfortunately, he tore his ACL and MCL just two games into the '07 season and has been battling to regain his health. But the 25-year-old Southern California native has proven he has the skill to stick in Australia.

Enfield isn't the only MLS refugee in Australia. Brazilian duo Diego Walsh (formerly of Columbus and Kansas City) and Cássio (who spent a season in New England) play for Adelaide United, while former Revolution left back Tony Lochhead went home to New Zealand to play for the A-League's lone Kiwi club, Wellington Phoenix.

"The experience has been great, and they play very good soccer down here," says Enfield of his time Down Under. "I look back at MLS when it was four years old, it was kind of struggling to stay afloat. In that regard, I think [the A-League] is way ahead."

To be fair, the quality of soccer is still better in MLS than it is in the A-League. (Australia's top national-team players, who are arguably more accomplished than their American counterparts, play for European clubs.) But the fact is that players who couldn't stick in the U.S. found a place to play competitive soccer in a league that is growing in respect and stature. And for the most part, they've been able to see regular action to improve their game.

When Seattle enters MLS next season, then Philadelphia in 2010 and another two expansion teams by 2011, the league is going to be forced to look harder for talent to keep all 18 clubs competitive. That probably means we'll see even more risks taken on unknowns from Latin America, bigger gambles on European and Latin stars and perhaps a foray or two into Asia and Africa.

But that's a dicey bet. Adapting to MLS soccer is harder than it appears for newcomers who don't know the league. Many new acquisitions over the past few years admit they had no idea MLS was such a fast, physical brand of soccer. That includes experienced stars such as David Beckham, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Ángel and '08 MVP frontrunner Guillermo Barros Schelotto, all of whom needed a good bit of time to adapt.

Conversely, there's the relatively no-name quartet in Australia. Enfield, Diego, Cássio and Lochhead may not be household names, but they know MLS and they know what it takes to compete.

"[Australia] is a great country and they've given me the opportunity," Enfield says. "But also, saying that, you want to promote the game and play for your home fans -- there's nothing better than that. If I had an opportunity to play in the U.S. again, I'd have to take a look at that."

In three years time when MLS -- already hurting for strength in depth -- will be more starved for talent than ever, it's the league's alums, and not unknowns, who will be able to keep the game going. It's worth arguing that as the need for players grows, bringing back the Enfields and Lochheads of the world will be every bit as important as hooking a big fish like Thierry Henry.

From a profit-loss standpoint, MLS already has succeeded in sustaining the world's game in America. In the coming years, it needs to remember some of the people who helped get it there -- no matter how far away they've strayed.